Taylor Sheridan’s hit series Yellowstone has been known for its authentic take on the cowboy culture, and that’s largely credited to the real cowboys on set, including Forrie J. Smith. Smith plays the role of Lloyd Pierce, Rip Wheeler’s (Cole Hauser) right-hand man, cow boss, and the oldest and most experienced ranch hand. According to Smith, he started out as a guest star in the Paramount drama after wrangling in the 2016 Western-Crime film “Hell or High Water” written by Sheridan, then eventually earned a recurring role. And now, he is one of the series’ fan favorites!
From Bronc Rider to Stuntman to Actor
Young Forrie spent his early years on his grandparents’ cattle ranch just southwest of Helena, Montana, where he was born on March 9, 1959. And riding horses definitely gallop in the family. His grandfather used to rodeo back when they circled the cars and snubbed the horses into the middle of the arena. His dad also excelled in rodeo, and his mom, Chick, was a barrel racer. If he wasn’t on the ranch, he was in the back seat of a station wagon, going down the rodeo road. He knew immediately that riding bucking stock was his call. In fact, when he fell off his Shetland pony named Bad Billy at 6, he proclaimed that he was going to be a stuntman.
He started competing at 8, then rode horses bareback by 11. And through the years, he has mastered the ins and outs of rodeo – flanking, loading, and riding. In an interview, he shared, “I’ve been on 17 horses in one day and 11 head of bulls in one day. Everything good in my life was because of rodeo.”
His rodeo career was what helped him get into the film business and become the stuntman he said he would be.
His first stint was as a wrangler in the 1986 remake “Stagecoach” with country singer Willie Nelson. The production needed someone who could rope one guy off the roof, and he was the only one who showed up with a rope long enough to reach the actor. Shortly after that, he earned his Screen Actors Guild card. He then did stunts alone for some time, and he was happy and content with the work he was getting. Until one day, his stunt coordinator called and told him that he was to audition for a speaking part in the 1987 TV film “Desperado” as Harley, Calvin’s (Stephen Davies) sidekick.
He got the part, and that led him to cameo roles in films like the 1991 “Young Riders,” 2006 “The Lazarus Man,” 2017 “Better Call Saul,” and 2018 “Midnight, Texas.” He was also known for his stunts in TV features “Rambo III” (1988), “Aces: Iron Eagle III” (1992), “Posse” (1993), “Lightning Jack” (1994), “Los Locos” (1997), and “Seven Mummies” (2006). He also earned credits as wrangler in “2 Guns” (2013), “Hell or High Water” (2016), and “The Kid” (2019).
But it was his role as Lloyd in Yellowstone that gave his name the most prominence.
The Bunkhouse Membership
Forrie J. Smith’s character Lloyd was undeniably one of the well-loved ones by fans on the show. And many were delighted to see a sneak peek of Lloyd’s younger version in a flashback sequence during the Season 5 premiere titled One Hundred Years Is Nothing played by the actor’s own son, Forrest Smith/Wilder. The young Smith was spotted with young Rip Wheeler (Kyle Red Silverstein) in the bunkhouse.
This wasn’t the first time Forrest appeared on the show (as he did so in S02E05 Touching Your Enemy), but this was by far his most screen time. He even had a dialog, telling Rip, “Not one good thing happens in town…” and fans were quick to point out the uncanny similarities between the two Smiths.
As of Yelowstone’s latest season, Forrest Smith has been seen in a total of 7 episodes.
Living the Saddle Life
While Forrie J. Smith has been very busy as a stuntman, he never really completely left the world of rodeo. That is mainly because he still kind of rodeos in his line of work and also because he is part of the National Senior Pro Rodeo Association. He joined back in 2006 and competed for three years, winning his circuit twice and taking the average during the finals.
And when he isn’t working, he loves to spend his time on his ranch in San Acacia, New Mexico, sleeping in his own bed, petting his dogs, and saddling his horses. He even featured his view of majestic sunset scenery on Instagram. “Thank God to the movie business I’ll have a decent retirement through the teamsters guild. As long as I can stick my feet in the stirrup, I’ll always do day work and I’ll still do movies.”
According to various sources, Smith’s net worth in early 2022 is approximately $2 to $3 million, and he has an estimated earning of $400,000 per season of Yellowstone. With his role’s renewal for Season 5, his net worth for 2023 may see a substantial increase.
Make sure you catch Forrie J. Smith in Yellowstone Season 5. There are a lot of things that will go down, and you would want to be there when it happens.
